988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Hope has a new number: 988
On July 16, 2022, the United States entered a new era of behavioral health with a new 3-digit number to access services: 988. Any Tennessean can call 988 and press 0 to be routed to their local call center. Much like 911 did for emergency services, we believe this number will become a great resource for connecting people to the right treatment at the right time in the right setting. In the most recent year, Tennessee's 988 system logged more than 60,000 calls and more than 36,000 text and chats. The increase in people reaching out and receiving help continues to grow year over year as awareness of the 988 Lifeline spreads. Read on to learn more.
Ways to Access Support Through 988
Call or Text 988
Press 0 to talk to a Counselor
Chat with 988lifeline.org
988 Offers 24/7 access to trained crisis counselors who can help people experiencing mental health-related distress. That could be:
- Thoughts of suicide
- Mental health or substance use crisis, or
- Any other kind of emotional distress
People can call or text 988 or chat with 988lifeline.org for themselves or if they are worried about a loved one who may need crisis support. Call 988 and press 0 to be routed immediately to a crisis counselor.
988 Serves as a universal entry point so that no matter where you live, you can reach a trained crisis counselor who can help. Want to learn more about 988? Visit 988lifeline.org.
Download our 988 onepager for print at this link or click the image at right. In the state of Tennessee, there are eight 988 Call Centers, four text providers, four back-up call centers, and four chat providers.
How it Works:
1. Each county is designated a Primary Call Center where all calls are routed.
2. If the call is not answered by the Primary Call Center within a specified timeframe, each county has a Backup Call Center.
3. If neither answers the call within a specified timeframe the call is routed to one of the National Backup Call Centers.
For Text and Chat:
We have 24/7 coverage for text and chat. These services are provided by three crisis centers in Tennessee covering all 95 counties. Chats/texts are identified by state and routed to the appropriate in-state providers.
What happens when you call, text, or chat 988?
- 54% De-escalation
- 26% Non-emergency Mental Health Referral
- 11% Community Resource Referral
- 4% Mobile Crisis Referral
- 3% Coordination of Care
- 1% Emergency Services Dispatch
- 1% Referral to Emergency Department
